The newly established Global South Think Tanks Alliance will not only reshape the Global South, but it will help reshape the world by advancing international collaboration, said Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, former Foreign Minister of Senegal, on Thursday.
As a new platform for intellectual exchange and collaboration on common challenges and opportunities, the alliance was officially launched on Thursday in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
The alliance already includes over 100 think tanks across emerging-market and developing nations, alongside prominent Chinese universities and research institutions such as Tsinghua University, Renmin University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the China Media Group Think Tank.
When talking to China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Thursday, Gadio, also President of the Institute for Pan-African Strategies, shared insights into the role of the alliance in addressing challenges faced by Global South countries.
"Actually, it will not only reshape the Global South, but it will reshape the world. This initiative is just, to us, extremely important, because we live in a world in disarray. And to see the president of China, try to give us a prospect that we can do things our own way, we can change the world, put it in the right direction. And Global South is 134 countries around the world. And then you have countries that are extremely powerful, in a certain state of development, and that have achieved a lot today, so that the other countries like African countries or some countries that are less developed, they can have hope when they see China," he said.
Gadio said that various challenges, such as terrorism in Africa and conflict in the Gaza Strip, should be put into the global spotlight.
"We expect a country like China playing a wonderful role when it comes to economy, when it comes to building a big political alliance of the Global South, but also the issue of security. Because security precedes development. When we come to China, [it] invites us to discuss world affairs. My expectation is that we will raise the issue of terrorism in Africa, the tragedy in Gaza. So, Global South should be given an opportunity to discuss those issues and to do it very candidly and to be honest about it," said Gadio.
The Global South Think Tanks Alliance also aims to create more regional and global platforms for scholarly dialogs. China says it will host no fewer than 2,000 scholars from Global South countries over the next five years for forums and discussions aimed at sharing perspectives and advancing international collaboration.
By resorting to the alliance, Africa can further deepen cooperation with China in various sectors such as education, agriculture and infrastructure, in a bid to prop up the development of the continent, according to Gadio.
"We have a lot of actions, not only agricultural products, but to discuss, exchange experience and technology. Because Africa has so many arable land available for Africa's agriculture. We have water, we have workforce, 1 billion young Africans. So with China, we can do a lot in terms of agriculture, education, health, and building infrastructure. Those are the basic needs for development," he said.
Global South Think Tanks Alliance to reshape world: former Senegalese foreign minister
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Chilean President Gabriel Boric on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru, to discuss relations between their two countries and other issues of common concern.
Noting that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), Xi said that for more than half a century, China and Chile have consistently supported each other's core interests and major concerns, remaining good friends who trust each other and good partners for win-win cooperation.
China is willing to take the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Chile next year as an opportunity to enhance strategic communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, share development opportunities, and promote greater development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Chile, in the greater interests of the peoples of both countries, Xi said.
Stressing that both sides should work to strengthen exchanges and communications between them at all levels and in all areas, adhere to mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and connectivity, and keep enriching the content of cooperation, Xi said that the two countries should enhance cooperation in fields such as infrastructure, clean energy, information and communication so as to promote bilateral cooperation toward greater sustainability and onto broader fields through high-level free trade and more open industrial policies.
China welcomes the export of more high-quality Chilean products to China and supports more Chinese enterprises in making investment and starting up businesses in Chile, Xi said, adding that he hopes Chile will provide a transparent, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.
China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Chile within the framework of multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and APEC, to practice true multilateralism, maintain stability and smooth operation of global supply chains, safeguard the common interests of the Global South, and jointly build an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community, Xi said.
For his part, Boric said that Chile and China enjoy friendly relations, and the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is fruitful. In the current international context, continued development of Chile-China relations is of great significance.
Chile is firmly committed to the one-China principle and is ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields such as culture and education, said the Chilean president.
Boric also extended his congratulations to Xi on the opening on Thursday of the Chancay Port built with Chinese aid in Peru.
Noting that Chile welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and cooperate in areas such as capacity building and infrastructure, Boric said that Chile is willing to provide a favorable business environment for Chinese enterprises.
Chile looks forward to closely communicating with China within multilateral frameworks such as APEC, jointly opposing protectionism, and safeguarding global free trade and the security and smooth flow of supply chains, said Boric.
The Chilean side also supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), said the Chilean president.
Xi meets Chilean president on relations
